But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31(NIV)

On Wings Of Eagles

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

What Are You Devoted to?

Joshua 7:13 (New International Version)

“Go, consecrate
the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for
this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among
you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.

Frank Sinatra's daughter, Tina Sinatra, recalls her
father's unceasing drive to succeed and make money, even when his health was at
risk:

"His health was in tatters and his life mired in
financial wrangles, but my father refused to stop giving concerts, 'I've just
got to earn more money,' he said. His performances, sad to say, were becoming
more and more uneven. Uncertain of his memory, he became dependant on
teleprompters.

When I saw him at Desert Inn in Las Vegas, he struggled
through the show and felt so sick at the end that he needed oxygen from a tank
that he kept on hand. At another show he forgot the lyrics to 'Second Time
Around,' a ballad he had sung a thousand times. His adoring audience finished
it for him. I couldn't bear to see Dad struggle. I remembered all the times he
repeated the old boxing maxim 'You gotta get out before you hit the mat.'

After seeing one too many of these fiascos, I told him,
'Pop, you can stop now; you don't have to stay on the road.' With a stricken
expression he said, 'No, I've got to earn more money. I have to make sure
everyone is taken care of.'" When Frank Sinatra died in 1998, he left more
than 200 million dollars to his heirs. Since his death there have been constant
family wrangles over his fortune.

Our hearts can only be devoted to one thing. Let’s exam
your life and see if anything competes with the Lord for your devotion. And if
something other than the Lord holds your devotion, ask the Lord to give you
strength to remove it from your life.

Dear Lord we pray that we would be devoted in everything
to You. We pray that we not let the things in life get in the way of our
devotion to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.